


A Broken Automata

by sutekisauce



Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: 1930s, 1930s Paris, 1930s Steampunk, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1930s, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Angst, Gen, Hugo (2011) AU, Hugo movie AU, Movie AU, Not Beta Read, Steampunk, matsumiya (friendship), ohmiya (dad-son)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-06-16 03:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15428145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sutekisauce/pseuds/sutekisauce
Summary: Being an orphan after the death of his father, 15-year-old Matsumoto Jun lives inside the walls of Kitagawa Train Station, mending the clocks inside the station's clock tower, while trying to repair a broken camera his father had left him before his death. He was just trying to survive and keep himself alive while fixing the camera, but he didn't know that his whole life will change after he stole some spare machine parts from the mysterious toy shop owner Ohno Satoshi.Based on the movie Hugo (2011).





	1. [Prologue] The Promises for Tomorrow

_Automata [_ _n_ _];_

 _A_ _person_ _who_ _acts_ _like a_ _machine_ _, without_ _thinking_ _or_ _feeling_ _._

_._

_._

_God has always been unfair. He always be._

_He gives us life. And this life always takes away, it never gives. Including the precious ones. Ah, I mean,_ especially _the precious ones._

_I don’t know if it really takes everything though. I mean, if God didn’t even give us anything (except this damn thing called life) since the beginning, who should I blame? My fucking fate, or God?_

_In fact, God only lends those things. He took something from us when it is the time we should return it already._

_But is it really God who was unfair?_

_Because sometimes the due date He gave was too early._

_I knew some things were only meant to be used for a limited time, but was my happiness can only be used for a limited time too? Or am I not worth it to receive that kind of thing?_

_I … I just don’t understand._

_Am I not worth it to receive my parents’ love? Am I not worth it to receive even a glimpse of pity looks from other people who sees me as a random homeless orphan?_

_I wish I could just blame everything to God._

_But because of my dying father’s wish, I couldn’t do that._

_“Jun, don’t blame God for all of these problems. He gave that to you, to testify if you are worthy enough to receive his blessings. After all, He already gives you this life. But don’t worry, dear, I’ll always be by your side too, so you have to be strong and patient, okay?”_

_That was what he said before dying, and then, left this world. Such a liar._

_But God seems to enjoy torturing me like this. So does it mean I’m not worthy…?_

_Am I not strong and patient enough?_

_Sometimes I wish I can just return this life of mine back to God, so I won’t have to suffer again._


	2. The Everyday I Choose to Live

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being an orphan after the death of his father, 15-year-old Matsumoto Jun lives inside the walls of Kitagawa Train Station, mending the clocks inside the station's clock tower, while trying to repair a broken camera his father had left him before his death. He was just trying to survive and keep himself alive while fixing the camera, but he didn't know that his whole life will change after he stole some spare machine parts from the mysterious toy shop owner Ohno Satoshi.
> 
> Based on the movie Hugo (2011).

It was a busy Monday morning, as usual. People walking around Kitagawa Station—some were running, trying to catch up the train which had started to move a bit, having a morning coffee and newspaper in a café nearby the ticket booth, or just chit-chatting to each other while sitting on the bench. And the seas of people gets more crowded each time the big clock in the middle of the station ticks.

 

Behind the glass of the big clock, Jun just eyed at them uninterestedly. This had always been his usual sight every day for the past three years, as long as he could remember. Every day, every hour, every minute, every seconds, staying inside Kitagawa Station’s big clock tower, behind the bars and glass, to make sure the clock works—or else everyone would be late. A very boring job, but sometimes he does fix the clock, though.

 

At least it was peaceful inside, no one would bother him. He had been living there, in the station, maintaining the clocks for three years already. The clock workers had their own rusty dormitories—also inside the clock tower, so they won’t have to show their heads to the people passing by. But in these past years it was only Jun who lived there, and nobody—even the other station officers—bothered to take a peek inside. Jun didn’t know why, it seems like all of the officers had long forgotten that there was actually _someone_ operating the clock they saw on a daily basis. It’s not like he minds, though. Jun was actually grateful no one sees him, a 15-year-old orphan strolling around the station, stealing some bread and milk from the café. Heck, they should have paid him for working in the station.

 

It’s not even 9 a.m. yet, but Jun could feel his stomach had produced weird sounds already. _It’s not the right time, it’s not the right time_ , Jun whispered to himself when he was about to open the ventilation hole—his only way to get outside. The station was unusually more crowded than usual, and there’s still a bunch of people at the radius of 2 meters. Luckily they weren’t looking at his way. Jun slowly opened the ventilation hole, and with his skinny body—wrapped in his dirty old clothes, which makes him look skinnier—it wasn’t difficult to get out of the small hole.

 

He immediately walked to a less-crowded spot to avoid being noticed, and managed to find a way to the café. But the problem is, how to get pass over the station inspector who was standing in front of a florist stall across the café, chatting with the owner.

 

Inspector Sakurai Sho was a tall man in his early thirties, with a well-built body and strict face. Everyone who looked him at a first glance would have thought that he is this typical frightening and intimidating inspector. Turns out he was actually a kind man—still strict though, but kind to nearly everyone in the station. Well, at least he’s still a nightmare for homeless orphans or beggars around the alleys of the station. Inspector Sakurai was like the guard of Kitagawa Station, preventing the place from being littered by homeless orphans, beggars and thieves like Jun, who needs to steal just for the sake of keeping himself alive.

 

“So, Sakurai-san, how’s lately been doing?” the owner of the florist stall, a woman in her late twenties asked.

“I don’t know why, but these days I feel like I got more and more lost item reports than usual,” Inspector Sakurai answered. “You should be more careful too, Tabe-san.”

Tabe just laughs. “It’s okay, I’ll be alright. Who wants to steal from a florist anyway.”

“It’s just in case I’m not there, and how about if they stole your money instead?”

“Gosh, Sakurai-san, why don’t you try not to worry about every single thing?” Tabe laughs again.

“Well, it’s my job to worry about every single thing,” Inspector Sakurai grinned. “And maybe now it’s time I’d better get going.”

“Are you going to catch some troublemakers again?”

Inspector Sakurai nodded. “There’s always a bunch of troublemakers for me to catch. See you later then.”

 

As the inspector walked away from the florist, Jun quickly walked pass the café, took a croissant and a bottle of milk, then hide behind a pillar. These three years had trained him not only to be a clock mechanic, but also a skilful thief. He ate the croissant immediately and drank the milk in a few gulp before he continued walking towards a quiet alley in the south of the station.

 

The café wasn’t his first-priority target, though. What he aimed for was actually this small toys shop located in far end of the quiet alley, where he could get some spare parts from the shop’s mechanical toys. People wouldn’t normally expect a thief would steal from a toys shop, but since he needed some things from this shop to fix something, Jun took this situation to the advantage when there’s a 90% chance he wouldn’t be caught by the owner. After all, this isn’t the first time he ever stole something from that shop.

 

The owner himself seemed to be not too care about his own shop. In fact that the owner—Mr Ohno, he suppose, as per written on the shop’s sign board “Ohno’s Toys Shop”—a man maybe on his late thirties, even dozed off already. Or it’s just that he had a kind of sleepy face so people would say that he pretend to doze off. Either which one, Jun didn’t give a fuss about it. He walked silently to the counter in front of the shop owner. As he walked closer and closer, he opened his right hand, getting ready to grab the mechanical toy car.

 

Until a big hand grabbed his wrist when he reached the counter.

 

“Got you!!”

 

Jun groaned as he tried to free himself from the owner’s hand which is bigger and stronger than his. But no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn’t get off. With his struggling, he also accidentally dropped the toy car until it’s cracked open and the machine parts spread into pieces.

 

“This isn’t the first time you stole from me, am I right?” Mr Ohno dragged him closer to the counter harshly, making Jun bumped to the counter table. “Such a little thief. Empty your pocket now.”

“I’m not stealing anything,” Jun said, still struggling to free his hand from this man.

“You’re a great thief and liar. Empty your pocket, or I’ll call the station inspector. Do what I say, you brat!” Mr Ohno said, slamming the counter table.

 

Jun flinched, but with a trembling hand he took out everything inside his left pocket and put it on the table. What’s inside was the spare parts he had collected somewhere else. He gulped, hopefully this was enough to make the man let go of his hand.

 

“Just what exactly you’re going to do with these…” the owner stared at him, and then to the spare parts.

“... It’s none of your business,” Jun clicked his tongue.

“Very well then. The other pocket,” Mr Ohno said again.

“There’s nothing in it,” Jun replied.

The man stared at him again, when he suddenly shouted loudly, “Where’s the station inspector!!??”

 

Jun bit his lips, before taking a small notebook with dark purple cover from his right pocket. It was his late father’s notebook. What the hell did this man wanted to do with his father’s notebook anyway?

 

The man took the notebook and finally let go of Jun’s hand. As he opened the notebook, for a reason Jun didn’t know himself, Mr Ohno’s face turns more and more dumbfounded the further he opened the pages. It seems like the notebook had triggered him or something.

 

“Did you write these notes?” Mr Ohno asked. “Whose book is this?”

“No, but it’s mine,” Jun tried his best to sound convincing.

“Where did you stole it?” He asked again, sounding upset in every word he said.

“I didn’t, it’s mine!”

“What an excellent thief and liar you are.”

“Just give me back my notebook!!” Jun reached for the notebook but unfortunately Mr Ohno was faster and stopped Jun’s hand with a strong grip it made his hand hurt a little.

“Get off me, old man.” Jun huffed.

“You better shut your ill-mannered mouth, little rodent. I’ll take this notebook as a compensation from you—it is mine now, and that means I can freely tear or burn it,” Mr Ohno said in a sharp tone.

“NO!!” Jun screamed, still trying to reach for the notebook.

“GO AWAY, YOU THIEF!!” Mr Ohno shouted, releasing his grip on Jun’s hand harshly.

 

Jun wanted to snap back on this hot-headed shop owner, but—crap—he could see Inspector Sakurai approaching with his guard dog from the other end of the alley. He must have heard Mr Ohno’s shouting earlier.

 

“Chester! Go for that brat!” Inspector Sakurai released the leash of his dog. That man has a sharp vision and hearing—Jun hates it, really. He can easily spot any trespassing act, almost anywhere and anytime.

 

Anyways—shit, he need to take back his notebook, but with the inspector coming close, forget the notebook—he need to save his life first. Who on earth wants to be sent to the orphanage? That place is prison, even Jun thinks the clock tower dormitory is slightly better.

 

Jun ran from the toys shop, as fast as he can. He didn’t bother where he’s heading to, he just ran to wherever his feet brings him, as far as possible from the inspector and his dog. His feet had brought him to the café where he stole the bread before, and even though the café was crowded already, he’d just go for it. He jumped over chairs and tables, occasionally broke some cups and plates, also gaining panic shrieks from the customers and the café owner.

 

Inspector Sakurai was still chasing behind, but one thing Jun was grateful for—Inspector Sakurai, even though he has sharp senses, his physical ability was quite the opposite, and that artificial leg he was using added the handicap even more. He wasn’t fast-moving, and he bumped through all that obstacles in the café—even worse than Jun, he nearly smashed that huge and tall chocolate cake on the café’s display—he was safe, but he crashed the café’s piano instead. The piano was okay, but Inspector Sakurai had a hard fall and a hard time to get himself up.

 

Jun ran and ran, away from the café and the inspector’s dog, which actually can _replace_ him as the station’s inspector. Jun kept running, slipping through the crowds. He still can hear the inspector’s voice, _“Come back here, you little urchin!”_ so he turn his way round, towards another ventilation hole in a different area of the station, which is also one of the secret passages to the clock tower walls.

 

He quickly climbed his way to the clock tower, to avoid the inspector and his dog. He let out a deep sigh when he finally escaped. He could see from above the station—the clock tower is literally connected to almost all of the station’s inner walls—Inspector Sakurai yelled loudly _“Malediction!”_ when he failed to catch Jun after all that mess.

 

Jun took a deep breath. He managed to escape, but he had risked his notebook—his father’s notebook, in the hands of Mr Ohno who will burn it at any time.

 

Damn it, the notebook was one of the few things his father had left him. He couldn’t manage to let someone destroy his father’s belongings. _I must get it back_ , Jun said to himself. _No matter how._

_._

_._

11 p.m. was the time when most of the shopkeepers had closed their shops and people had already gone back home. So does Mr Ohno, he was going to close his shop when Jun came.

 

“Let me tell you, boy. It wasn’t a great idea to confront me timelessly like that.” Mr Ohno said while closing the doors of his shop. “Just go away.”

“No.” Jun refused. He squished his holey pants tight. “Until I get my notebook back, I won’t let you destroy it.”

“What a stubborn brat you are,” Mr Ohno took out the notebook from inside his coat. “Why do you want it back so much?”

 

“JUST GIVE IT BACK!!” When Mr Ohno took out the notebook, Jun didn’t wait anymore. He dashed towards Mr Ohno, grabbed the toys shop owner by his arm, trying to retrieve the notebook as fast as he could. But Mr Ohno was far stronger than him, pushing him away until he fell down and hit the cold station floor. Jun groaned, but Mr Ohno didn’t take a fuss about it. He put the notebook back inside his coat and grabbed Jun’s collar harshly.

“What’s your name?” Mr Ohno asked coldly.

“… Jun… Matsumoto Jun…” Jun answered with a small voice, still groaning over the pain of hitting the floor.

“Well then, stay away from me, Matsumoto Jun, or I’ll take you to the Station Inspector. He will find a good orphanage for a troublesome brat like you, and you will surely learn to fix your manners, how to speak politely to the elder ones, and most importantly, learn how to follow orders and that stealing is not allowed.”

“You know nothing! I need that book, old man!!” Jun struggled against the man’s grip on his collar, but Mr Ohno released his grip on Jun’s collar with a hard push, making Jun stumble backwards he almost fell down again.

 

“You also know nothing.” Mr Ohno walked away, leaving Jun behind. But all that matters to him now is taking back the notebook. He only need the book back, why was Mr Ohno so angry at him for having it? It was his father’s… Why did Mr Ohno accuse him for a theft he didn’t do!?

 

 _Dad, I promise I’ll get it back… No matter how…_ He will do anything for the notebook, even if it means tailing Mr Ohno to his way home from the station.

 

So he did, following Mr Ohno on his way home. It was snowing outside the station, and Jun need to hug himself tight to survive from hypothermia. He could feel the cold winds through the holes in his pants, and some fallen snow had made their way inside his threadbare boots. His old wool coat was his last defence, but it didn’t help much either. With all the strength he had left, he followed Mr Ohno to his house, one of the terraced houses nearby the station. Even though it was only a 15-minute walk from the station, Jun could feel his feet getting numb already.

 

Mr Ohno then entered his house, without even bothering Jun’s existence. Jun was left there, outside of his house, cold and shivering. What on earth is this man? Jun felt dejected. But his body can’t take it any longer. He need to take the book back as soon as possible.

 

That’s when he saw a boy, around his age, sitting by the second floor’s window of Mr Ohno’s house. Is he Mr Ohno’s son? But he’s still in his thirties, too early to have a child already, so the boy might be his little brother or something.

 

If he can’t negotiate with Mr Ohno himself, then maybe Jun can get some help from his brother. So he took a handful of the snow below his feet—it was freezing cold, but that was the only way—shaped it into a ball, and threw it to the second floor’s window.

 

The boy immediately noticed the sound of something hitting the window, and he also noticed Jun’s presence. Jun signalled him to get down by waving his hands. At first the boy was hesitant, but he eventually get down and appeared in the front door.

 

“What do you want?” the boy asked, seemingly annoyed by Jun interrupting whatever he was doing earlier.

“Your brother stole my notebook,” Jun explained. “I need to get it back before he burns it.”

“Papa Oh-chan isn’t my brother,” the boy replied. “And he isn’t a thief, you’re the thief. He just take a compensation from you, like he should, as a shop owner. Be grateful that we didn’t take you to the police!”

 

Wait, so this boy was in the train station and saw what happened?

 

“Why do you need it so badly?” the boy asked.

“….I can’t tell you. But I really need it.”

“Well if you won’t tell me, you’ll have to leave. I don’t want to get into trouble.”

“Not without my notebook!” Jun raised his voice, but the boy signalled him to keep quiet.

“Fine,” the boy sighed. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t burn your notebook. I can do nothing more than that, since he’s already in a bad mood when he got home. Now, go.”

Jun let out a deep sigh. The boy was right, there’s nothing they can do to take the book back now. He also couldn’t tolerate the cold anymore. So he bowed his head a little and left Mr Ohno’s house, going back to the train station.

 

.

 

.

 

_“Dad, what is that?” little Jun asked when his dad came home that evening._

_“It’s a camera, dear. My old friend gave it to me, even though he knew that we barely have any space left in the shop. So I just bring this home. And look, it’s broken already. He thinks that I’m a junk collector, huh.” The man, Jun’s father, laughed, and that made his son laughed with him too._

_“But you always said yourself, we will always welcome any broken machines?”_

_“Of course, I’m a clock maker, it’s one of my duty to repair any broken machines and make them useful again. Do you want to join me on my quest repairing this buddy here?” his dad said. Jun nodded enthusiastically._

_“This camera was very unique that it’s hard to find the matching spare parts. We might need a long time to fix it, are you okay with that?”_

_Jun nodded again. “We can still fix it, right?” Jun smiled to his dad, which was returned with another warm smile from his dad, the smile Jun loves the most, and also a gentle loving caress on his hair._

_His dad was the only family he had left, he never knew his mother—his dad said she died when giving birth to him. He wasn’t the richest guy in town, nor a high class official, in fact his dad just owns a clock shop in the outskirts of the city. Nevertheless, his dad was the best gift God ever gave him. Jun was very thankful he still had his dad. He didn’t ask for more, just being with his dad is enough for him._

_His classmates in school would always mock him as a weirdo for bringing those thick books about machinery, especially Shun and Toma, the class’ bullies, who would also label him as “daddy’s boy”. But for Jun himself, he never needed a friend other than his dad, his best buddy._

 

_And then that day came. The day when God unfairly took his most important treasure. It all happened so fast that Jun was sure his heart broke into pieces and he didn’t even have enough time to collect the shattered pieces._

_On one evening, the time when his dad was supposed to arrive back at home, it wasn’t his dad who appeared in the doorstep._

_It was his uncle Nagase, and without any feel of lost and grieve the tall and fierce-looking man said the most hurtful words Jun can’t stand to hear._

_“There was a fire on your father’s shop. He’s dead. You will be joining me in the train station now. Pack your things, quickly.”_

_._

_._

Jun looked at the broken camera in the corner of his dormitory room. The notebook had all of the useful information on the camera written down there by his father, but his father himself didn’t even have any time to finish repairing the camera.

 

_Dad, I promise, I’ll get the notebook back… and I’ll fix the camera…_

 

Jun felt hot tears flowing from the tip of his eyelids, and that night, he cried himself to sleep, for the first time after a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The camera was like the one they use in I'll be there PV. Ohno is 33 years old here, Sho is 32, Tabe-chan is 29, and I have to use Japan's norm of being married and have children at the age of 35+ (LMAO) to synchronize with the plot. I can just make Ohno much older (in this case the same as Georges Melies in the movie) but I'll sure be slapped by Ohno ichibanners....


	3. Towards Our Dreams, Until We Reach Them

_“There was a fire on your father’s shop. He’s dead. You will be joining me in the train station now. Pack your things, quickly.”_

_I can’t believe it. I don’t want to believe it._

_He was here this morning. He was just fine when we eat breakfast before I left for school. He was still smiling to me before he went to his shop. He said we would fix the camera again when he came back home. He promised to show me his old books about steam machines too._

_“Quick! Don’t waste my time,” I can hear Uncle Nagase’s snapping at me, but I couldn’t get myself to move at all. My body just froze there, my fingers felt numb, as if my soul just left its body._

_“…why..?” I could feel a shed of tear running down my cheek._

_“Stop crying, Jun! You don’t hear what I said!?” Uncle Nagase snapped at me again._

_“...y-yes…” I stuttered. I rose from my seat, and went to my room._

_Uncle Nagase was the clock mechanic of Kitagawa Station, one of the busiest train station in our city. He was Mom’s older brother, and the only relative I had left._

_He was a man with quite troublesome personal life. He occasionally came to our house, asking Dad to fix his old pocket watch. He was an alcoholic man, always drunk every time he came. He wasn’t a decent man, I never really liked him, but I have no other choice._

_I packed my things into a small suitcase. Oh, how I wish I could bring all of them, but surely Uncle Nagase won’t like it. I took some pieces of clothes, a few of Dad’s tools, and the old broken camera. I don’t know—that camera was the first thing I thought of._

_Dad… I don’t want to go… but I have no choice… or else I’ll be sent to the orphanage…_

_Dad… why? You… you promised! You promised you’ll always be by my side! It’s not fair…_

_Uncle Nagase took me to his workplace, behind the walls of Kitagawa Station, inside the clock tower. It was dark, dusty and cold along the hallway, and looks like no one has been there since ages._

_“Whoa, whose brat is this you’re bringing, Nagase?” a man, maybe around Uncle Nagase’s age, greeted us when we arrived at the clock tower’s ‘dormitory’, as what Uncle Nagase said._

_“He’s Okada’s son.”_

_“Ooh? Why is he with you?”_

_“… Talk about it later, Matsuoka. Need to bring him to his room first.” Uncle Nagase pushed me away from the man, and guided me to the said room._

_The room was small and simple. It was old and dusty just like the hallway. There were just one small bed and a desk inside._

_“This will be your room. Now get some sleep. We start work at 5 a.m., and I don’t want you to doze off in the middle of working.” Uncle Nagase said._

_“W-what about school..?” I asked in a tiny voice._

_“What are you talking about? You’re finished with school! You have no time for maths and science while you’re working here!” Uncle Nagase shouted. “Be grateful that I didn’t send you to the orphanage!” He slammed the door shut before leaving._

_I was just an innocent boy at that time, before knowing the bitter truth of how my future would become._

_After Uncle Nagase left me, I was trying to sleep like he said, trying to forget all those painful events happening before. What wake me up was Uncle Nagase and Mr Matsuoka’s conversation outside my room._

_Silently I opened the door a little, to get a glimpse of what they were talking about._

_“...why is Okada’s son here?”_

_“Okada’s dead. The boy doesn’t have any other relative other than me.”_

_“I never thought you would be a babysitter.”_

_“Shut up. I’m not going to take him as my son or whatever. If he’s going to stay here, it’s not for free. He has to work for me. I’ll train him tomorrow—he’s Okada’s son, doesn’t need a long time for him to understand everything since he got quite some machinery skills already. And when he gets the handle of it, I’ll be in your bar more often.”_

_My body dropped to the ground, as if I was shot by a gun, right in the heart._

_I was sitting there, all my tears dried out, and I didn’t even have the strength left to shout._

_It was like a nightmare coming true. Uncle Nagase did train me how to mend the clocks the next day. Except that he’s not a good trainer._

_"What the hell, is this all you’ve got!? You should rotate the handle with more power!”_

_“Put the gears more precisely, didn’t your father teach you that!?”_

_“I’ve let you stay here, can’t you just repay my kindness with doing this job properly!?”_

_“You’re lucky I didn’t send you to the orphanage!”_

_And he would always punish me with slaps, kicks or occasional whips using his belt each time I didn’t do exactly what he wants._

_By the end of the day, my body was all black and blue. Countless scars appeared on my skin, but that wasn’t comparable to the scars of my heart._

_One thing that’s keeping me sane during those times, was the old camera Dad left me._

_I promised to myself since the day Dad left me. I have to fix the camera. I don’t know—I feel obligated to finish what Dad has left for me. Maybe he was leaving it as some sort of dying message? I would never know unless I repair that thing and make it work again._

_Dad, please wait for me… I will definitely finish it._

_._

_._

Jun found himself standing in front of Mr Ohno’s shop the next morning, again after last night’s incident.

 

“I knew you were here.” Mr Ohno said. He was busy preparing to open his shop, and didn’t even take a glance on Jun’s presence.

 

“I need my notebook, Sir. _Please_ , give it back.”

 

Mr Ohno finally turned his back, facing Jun properly. He took out a piece of folded handkerchief from his bag, and gave it to Jun.

 

When Jun unfolded the handkerchief, black and thick soot came out from it, some crumbles down the handkerchief, and some came in contact with his skin, mainly his face and fingers.

 

“There, I gave it back.”

 

“W-wha… what’s this..?”

 

“Didn’t I told you I’ll burn that damn notebook? Now go away, you got what you need already.”

 

“THIS ISN’T WHAT I NEED!!” Jun shouted, tears pricking in his eyes, his fingers fidgeting, trying not to unleash all the anger he felt. “..Why..? How could you… You have no idea how important that notebook is to me!!”

 

He dropped the handkerchief, ran away as fast and as far as he could. He didn’t want to see that man. Why was he so cruel!? Jun knew that he made mistakes, but if this was karma, he also knew well that he didn’t deserve this harsh karma, after all he had gone through these three years!

Jun ran and ran, he didn’t care where he’s heading to. He bumped to several passengers in the hallway, until one of the bumps was hard enough to make him stop and nearly fell down.

 

“Ouch! Watch your steps, idiot!”

 

The person he bumped onto yelled at him, and… oh, shit. Jun knew who this voice belongs to.

 

“Didn’t you hear what I said? Hey!”

 

“S-shun…” Jun whispered. Out of all person, why did it have to be him..?

 

“Oh oh oh… look who’s here, Toma. Isn’t this daddy’s baby boy?” the person—Shun, said to his friend Toma who was standing next to him.

 

“I-I’m afraid y-you’re w-wr-wrong…” Jun tried to escape from this two bullies. What were this two doing here in the station? Uh-oh, Jun had forgotten that they were heirs to elite families, they must be here joining their parents to business trips.

 

“No, I know I’m not. By the way, what are you doing here all alone? Where’s your daddy? Hahaha!” Shun laughed with a mocking tone.

 

“God, you’re so filthy! Dirt all over your clothes, soot on your face, you must enjoy fixing those junks,” Toma blurted. “And is that tears in your eyes? Did Daddy left you alone to become a Cinderella?”

 

“No one speaks about my dad,” Jun’s voiced deepened. He grabbed Toma’s collar and glared sharply right into his eyes. “Don’t you dare speak about him.”

 

“Let go off me, Cinders!” Toma pushed him away. “This suit is expensive, I don’t want it to be dirty like yours!”

 

“You fight back now? Dear baby Jun, that’s not good, Daddy will be so mad at you,” Shun grabbed Jun’s thin shoulder harshly.

 

“I said no one speaks about my dad!” Jun tried to release Shun’s grip, but Shun just holds him even tighter, not to mention both Shun and Toma were far stronger than him.

 

“Hey! Let him go!” Suddenly, Jun could hear a voice coming from behind.

 

It was Mr Ohno’s son, the boy he saw yesterday night on that window. Now that Jun can see him clearer in the morning, he noticed that this boy was shorter and smaller than him, except that he was quite nourished, compared to Jun’s skinny frame. With that small body, what could he do against Shun and Toma? Even Jun couldn’t stand a chance. But heck—this boy didn’t resemble Mr Ohno at all, even though he had a rather cute face with that mole on his chin.

 

“Who are you?” Toma asked. “Go away, don’t bother us.”

 

“I’m just here to remind you about keeping the station free from violence,” the boy replied. “Or should I call our beloved station inspector?”

 

“Well, I suppose you don’t know who our parents are? They can silence the inspector if they want to,” Shun smirked.

 

The boy laughed. “I’m not asking who your parents are, and I’m not in the mood to know. But rules are rules, I’m sure you’ll get the right consequences if you disobey them.”

 

“Huh, is there even any rules to begin with? They are made just for scaring people,” Toma huffed.

 

“Very well, then I guess you won’t mind getting punishments,” the boy smiled.

 

“Huh? Wha—AH! THE HELL IS THIS!” Shun screamed when something was thrown to his face, covering his eyes. He spontaneously released his grip on Jun, trying to get rid of the thing.

 

“Shun!” Toma screamed. “You! What do you want!?”

 

“Oh, don’t worry, I got one for you too,” the boy took out a sticky pink rubber from his pocket, the same one he used for stunning Shun, and throw it to Toma’s face as well.

 

“Let’s go,” he took Jun’s hand, who was still surprised by the attack. Both of them escaped from the two bullies, and they stopped nearby a quiet spot.

 

“What was that?” Jun asked him while he was trying to control his breath after running.

 

The boy took out more of the pink rubber and showed it to Jun. “ _Joshima’s Special Bubble Gum Slime_ , from _Joshima’s Magic Shop of Tricks and Illusions_. Relax, it’s just a toy slime. But needs time to take it off once it came in contact with the skin.”

 

“… Whatever. I need to go now. Bye.” Jun said coldly, didn’t bother what the boy was saying.

 

But the boy grabbed his wrist. “Not so fast, J.”

“Get off! And don’t ‘J’ me, I have a name,” Jun brushed off the boy’s grip.

“I know, I know your name’s Jun, that’s why I call you J. Isn’t that easier?”

“Don’t decide that on your own,” Jun replied, annoyed. “So, what was it? Better be fast.”

“I need to talk to you about a few things, but not here,” the boy answered. “We are too exposed here. Also you owe me a thanks for saving you.”

“Is it that secret? I don’t have time for this.”

“Not really, but you might want to prevent yourself from encountering those two again, so let’s move to a safer place. I’m Kazunari, by the way. Just call me Kazu like what everyone else did.”

 

.

 

.

 

The boy, Kazunari, had took him to the shop where he bought the bubble gum slimes. And now here they are, in front of _Joshima’s Magic Shop of Tricks and Illusions_.

 

Kazu took his hand again, dragging him inside without his permission. But since Jun was kind of curious with the things Kazu wanted to speak about, he’s forgiven.

 

“Taichi!” Kazu called the shop assistant, a man maybe the same age as Nagase, who was busy feeding the beetle put in a cage beside the counter.

“Call me Kokubun-san, you little gremlin!” the man snapped.

“It doesn’t suit you at all!” Kazu replied him. “By the way, where’s Joshima-san?”

“He got some business trips so he’s out of the city until next week. This week’s catalogues are over there if you want. And you bring a friend now?”

“This is Jun,” Kazu introduced him to the shop assistant.

 

Jun bowed a little. He was a bit surprised, he wasn’t ready with the sudden pass from Kazu. Why was he this nervous? He didn’t have any interest in this man nor the shop they’re in now, so why he had to be so nervous?

 

But nevertheless, the man, Mr Kokubun smiled at him. “Hello, Jun-kun. You don’t need to be so tense with me, I’m not that old, you know?” He looked like a gentle caring person, despite him yelling at Kazu earlier. He looks nothing like his fierce uncle Nagase. Jun bit his lips. This man was nice, and Jun somehow felt guilty for not responding politely. Was this the result of barely speaking with anyone else except his uncle Nagase in the past three years? Even he just said things like “I understand”, “Yes”, “I’m sorry” to Nagase, and wouldn’t dare to have a chat or even speak up to his uncle.

 

Uh, but forget about it. Jun didn’t intend to stay in this shop for long, he would just listen to what Kazu needs to say, and then leave as soon as possible. He wasn’t intending to make good relations with Mr Kokubun either. His encounter with Shun and Toma, also Mr Ohno burning the notebook have made his mood very very bad, and would likely stay so for the rest of the day. And now he was also questioning why he followed Kazu earlier. The only thing that could make his mood slightly better is continuing the camera reparation.

 

He followed Kazu to the back of the shop. The boy was enthusiastically choosing some of the magic properties displayed there. Jun cringed at him, why this boy loves collecting weird useless stuffs like those slimes?

 

Jun tapped on Kazu’s shoulder, who was still busy choosing the magic stuffs. “Are you done yet?” he leaned on the shelf, crossing his hands to show Kazu that his patience was already at its limit.

 

But Kazu didn’t show any signs of guilty towards him. Instead, he was showing his snarky grin.

 

“What’s so funny?”

“Are you always like that?” Kazu asked with a little laugh. “So cold towards others? No wonder you always got into fights. Including with Papa.”

“Shut up. I don’t need your critics on whatever I did or how I act. I just need some good reason on why you took me here.”

 

“You know? Papa Oh-chan didn’t actually burn your notebook.” Kazu answered suddenly. “Well, that’s what I need to say.”

 

“Bastard, you don’t need to drag me to this useless shop if you only want to say that!” Jun yelled. “Damn it, you just waste my time like your father.”

 

Jun was expecting Kazu to be angry when he mentioned about Mr Ohno, but on the contrary Kazu just laughed harder.

 

“Well… you better remember this, Matsumoto Jun. That notebook of yours makes him really angry last night, and for your information you’ll never be able to get it back if you keep acting like that. Also, you might need to learn how to smile.”

“I’ll definitely going to have it back,” Jun replied. “It’s _mine_ , and I’ll use my own way to retrieve it,” he make sure he had thrown a sharp glare towards Kazu, before going out of that shop, leaving Kazu alone. Heck, that place wasn’t worth his time. Jun didn’t even say goodbye to Mr Kokubun, who was watching him leaving confusedly.

 

“Hey Kazu-kun,” Mr Kokubun called. “You two got into a fight?”

Kazu smiled. “It’s not a big deal. Forgive him, okay? He’s just a bit antisocial. Or _too antisocial_ , maybe.”

“Did he really get into fights a lot?” Mr Kokubun asked. “Sorry, overheard your conversation a little.”

“Just before we arrived here, I saved him from two bullies, last night he quarrelled with Papa, and I saw him being chased by the station inspector quite often. So, yeah,” Kazu answered.

“He even got into problems with adults…. Gosh, can’t believe such a troublesome kid exists.”

 

“Nah, he’s just lonely, Taichi. People don’t know what he’s up to in his alone times, me neither. That’s why he’s interesting. I’m not angry on him being stubborn and offensive towards Papa, I just want to know his reasons. To be honest this was the first time I saw Papa that mad. He never really blew up even in the worst situations before,” Kazu confessed.

 

“By the way, this is for today, just keep the change,” Kazu paid his loots to Mr Kokubun.

“Kazu-kun,” Mr Kokubun called again before he left the shop. “Can you give this to Jun-kun? He might want some.”

It was a pack of gummy sweets. Steak sauce flavoured, as what the package said.

“…Why steak sauce?” Kazu asked.

Mr Kokubun giggled. “You know that factories always send us bizarre flavoured sweets like rotten eggs or vomits. This was a new item, at least one of the pretty decent flavours in our shop. Some children like it, I thought that Jun-kun will also like it. He seems to be in a bad mood today.”

“I still don’t get why it’s steak sauce, but thanks,” Kazu waved goodbye to Mr Kokubun before leaving the shop.

 

.

 

.

When Kazu arrived back to the station, he saw Jun, in front of his father’s shop, again. Butting in between their conversation right now would be a big no, so he decided to hide behind the nearest pillar and eavesdrop instead.

 

_As expected of you, J._

“Didn’t I told you to go away?” He heard his father shooed Jun away.

“You haven’t burn my notebook, have you?” Jun asked Mr Ohno.

“It’s not your place to know.”

“… It’s also not your place to take that notebook from me. I need it.”

 

Mr Ohno kept silent for a few seconds, before he took something from the counter’s inner drawer. It was the toy car Jun broke in his first encounter with Mr Ohno, as far as Kazu remembered. Well, he was practicing his magic tricks nearby when that incident occurred.

 

“Fix this,” his father demanded. “You’ve been stealing parts from this shop, I bet you might need these parts you haven’t stolen yet,” he took out his gears, screwdrivers, and other tools.

 

Kazu could see Jun was hesitating at first, but he froze in his place when he saw Jun’s hand skilfully use those tools. Placing the gears back to its original position, securing the screws, he did all of that in barely five minutes. The toy car ran perfectly like it has never been damaged before.

 

That boy was a genius. He could have enter a prestigious school! How did he ended up being a dirty thief?

 

 “Will you give me my notebook now?” Jun demanded, he squished the tip of his clothes tight.

 

Mr Ohno looked at the boy’s eyes. “You pretty much have a talent for this things. But I must say you have to prove that you’re more than a thief. You must work for me if you want to get your notebook back, as an exchange for each item you stole from me. And I’ll decide how long you must work before you can get your notebook back.”

 

“I already have a job,” Jun said.

“Thief is not a job.”

“I have different job!” he yelled.

“Very well, then this notebook is mine,” Mr Ohno replied.

Jun sighed. “Fine. I’ll come when I can.”

“You begin tomorrow. Go away now.”

“….No. I’ll begin now.”

 

And after that, Kazu saw Jun entering the back of the shop, joining Mr Ohno behind the counter. He could see his father handing some broken toys that needs to be fixed to Jun, and Jun would fix all those toys with ease.

 

_Interesting. Just what on earth are you up to, Matsumoto Jun?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please welcome the grand entrance of Kazunari! We got Shun and Toma's debut scene here too! Also, TOKIO members! ><  
> Sorry for not updating in a long time, I'm afraid I can't no longer update fast because rl succ :')


	4. The yesterday we didn't give up on

Jun looked at the clock. The big clock he should be watching over, as the clock’s one and only mender.

 

_ It’s one minute late already. _

 

Fuck those toys, fuck this shop, fuck this ‘job’. If he wasn’t here, he would have gone back to his peaceful boring days behind the walls, mending those clocks properly. It’s not like he loves his job as a clock mender, but it’s better than being with this annoying old man. Besides, Jun didn’t want to be blamed if everybody was late because of the clock error. Not that he cares much about being blamed…. But if someone notices the error, he or she would surely report the matter to the inspector, the inspector would later on investigate the clock walls, and that’s the least thing Jun hoped to happen—Inspector Sakurai finds an orphan operating the clocks.

 

Mr Ohno’s shop wasn’t that crowded, but it still had people stopping by, mostly parents with their children. And on Jun’s first day working at the shop, shortly after he fixed his first toy, kids had laughed at how dirty he is. Some were scared and begging their parents to go away from the shop after Jun threw his mighty death glare, some were being jerk enough to throw bubble gums at him, even he could hear their parents complaining to Mr Ohno about the shop’s  _ hygiene _ . That’s how Jun had found himself moving to the very back of the shop, behind the shelves of unused things when doing his work.

 

Yet Mr Ohno didn’t bother about those complains. He had kept Jun for a week, and didn’t say anything on Jun’s work, just some simple dos and don’ts, no harsh conversations like on their first encounter.

 

Kazu was there too. Not inside the shop, but a few meters away, near the bench, showing off some magic tricks to small children. He did that almost on a daily basis, and at some times he would receive  _ money _ from people passing by. Oh God, Jun was a bit annoyed on how this boy is wasting his own time doing nonsense. But in fact, Jun was jealous on how Kazu had a long free time like that.

 

Jun looked at the clock again.  _ Oh great, two minutes. _ Mr Ohno would normally let him go at around 6 to 7 p.m., but since a few months ago, the clock had somehow slow down when the gears are not oiled on time. Well, it's a very very old clock, and it is slowly reaching its limits. The station maintainers should have changed the gears since a long time ago, but how can Jun report that to them? They’ll only see him as a disgusting beggar, not a worker. And there’s a 99.9% chance he would get noticed by Inspector Sakurai.

 

It’s only 4 p.m., and Jun could imagine Mr Ohno won’t ever return his notebook if he escaped now.  But he couldn’t risk of being caught by that troublesome inspector. So he put down the tools and gears he’d been using before, and walked to Mr Ohno who was sitting in the front counter.

 

“Can I go now?” Jun asked straight to the point. “... Got something to do.”

 

“But you haven’t finished,” Mr Ohno replied sarcastically.

 

“I’ll came earlier tomorrow and make up for today. I really need to go, bye.” Jun said without bothering to wait for Mr Ohno’s response. But he was quite certain that he heard Mr Ohno clicked his tongue before he left.

 

_ I don’t care, I need to hurry. I don’t want to be caught, not before I’m done with the camera. _

 

.

 

.

 

Kazu likes accompanying his dad working. It was always some kind of amusement for him to meet various kinds of people in the train station. People with different backgrounds and stories to tell, Kazu get to know many of them, simply from a deck of cards and any other magic properties.

 

He wasn’t a fortune teller, no. He just likes observing people’s traits and somehow it turns to be one of his talents. 

 

He like it how those children watching him do his usual card tricks in front of his dad’s shop gave different reactions. Some are curious on how he did it, some are just purely surprised, some are excited to see him do another one, and some are just replying with “that’s such a nonsense!”. Some of the adults as well, they are either amused with his tricks until they gave him some money, and some just walked past him without even having a glance.

 

And then that boy came. 

 

Kazu had never seen such a troublesome person like him. 

 

He had no manners towards the elderlies, cold, impatient, easily gets angry and easily gets into fights too.

 

But Kazu was sure  _ he saw it. _

 

He saw a glint of sorrow and loneliness in that big dark brown eyes.

 

So, out of curiosity, he began to “investigate” this Matsumoto Jun boy.

 

Kazu always thought that he’s not capable of helping his dad. Not at the shop, at least. He knew very well that his dad ain’t rich guy and he needs to support him. So Kazu tried another way. He saw Mr Joshima performed his tricks together with his partner Mr Kokubun last year, and since then he had become some sort of their apprentice, and also performed some tricks to help collect money for him and his dad.

 

To be honest, he somehow envied Jun. Kazu never saw his dad like that before—amazed and amused, well he didn’t look like that from the outside—when they saw Jun fixing those broken machines. Ever since that incident his dad didn’t look down at Jun anymore and recruited that kid as his assistant.

 

His “investigation” was not a waste, Kazu had proven that some of his suspicions on Jun were not just a mere hypothesis.

 

Matsumoto Jun was hiding something.

 

And when he’s in the middle of performing his magic to two little kids—two of his regular audiences—Kazu saw Jun was going out from the shop in a hurry. It’s only 4 p.m., why that boy has left already?

 

_ He couldn’t miss the chance. _

 

“Sorry Ryoma-kun, Wakana-chan, I have to go now,” he told the two kids, a boy and a girl.

 

“But Kazu-nii, I still want to see your card magic!” the little boy whined. 

 

“Ryoma-kun, I promise I’ll do a better one tomorrow, so will you two come again?”

 

The two kids nodded enthusiastically, and with that Kazu ran to chase Jun who’s now quite far already.

 

.

 

.

 

As Jun ran towards the ventilation hole (the only known way to enter the station walls without being caught by anyone, well, there used to be a proper door somewhere but he’ll surely be spotted easily), he felt a hand grabbing the tip of his shirt.

 

“Where do you think you are going,  _ part-timer _ ?”

 

Damn, Jun hates this sarcastic voice. If the owner of this voice wasn’t the one rescuing him from Shun and Toma, Jun would have tossed him to the nearest trash can.

 

He turned around to see Kazu standing right behind him, with his trademark nasty smirk. 

 

“ _ Please _ , Kazu, not this time,” Jun sighed. “I really need to go now.”

 

“Then take me with you.”

 

“... I can’t.” Jun gritted his teeth. 

 

Kazu giggled. “You know I can always report to Papa that you’re slacking off from your work. But if you take me with you, we can settle this peacefully.”

 

For God’s sake, Kazu always finds a way to checkmate him, and that was one reason why Jun wanted to stay away from Mr Ohno’s son.

 

“... Fine. But promise me not to tell anybody. Not even your dad, your audiences, nor the inspector,” Jun said.

 

Kazu nodded and smiled. Suspiciously. 

 

“Did you know you’re shady as fuck when you smile like that?” Jun unconsciously mumbled while he opened the ventilation hole and let Kazu get in first. And so they crawl towards the long and narrow tunnel, going deeper and deeper towards the station walls.

 

“Well, guess who’s more shady than a cute and good-looking street magician. A grumpy thief with his thick eyebrows.”

 

Jun wanted to throw up right on the spot and pour his puke to this over-narcissistic street magician.

 

.

 

.

 

When they arrived at their supposed destination, Kazu can only open his mouth in awe.

 

“Damn, boy. I can’t imagine what have you been doing here…”

 

Heck, they’re inside the clock tower now, the clock tower that Kazu always look at everyday. He had always wondered how was it like to be inside this damn big clock.

 

_ Because Kazu was sure he once saw someone behind the glass of the clock. _

 

“A lot more than what you imagined, for sure.”

 

“It’s you…” Kazu murmured.

 

“What?” the boy asked. Yes, that boy behind the station walls.

 

“Nevermind,” Kazu replied. “So… tell me more about this place, about yourself. Why are you here.”

 

“You see here, I’m maintaining the clocks so everyone won’t be late. And since we came here it has been 5 minutes late. That’s why I’m rushing my way here. Are you satisfied now, Mr Magician?” Jun huffed.

 

Kazu touched one of the giant gears. “Are you alone here?” he asked.

 

Jun nodded. “For now. And if you don’t need anything else, please go away and let me finish my work. You still remember our way in before right? Or you can go from the back door that connects the clock tower to the small back alley behind the station.”

 

“What if I say that I won’t go until I’m satisfied?” Kazu threw his trademark smirk again.

 

_ I need to know. If what I predicted is true, I don’t want the same thing that happened to Mom happened to him too…. _

 

“Gosh, Kazu… When will you stop making things difficult?” he could hear Jun dropped one of his screwdrivers to the metal floor, which produced a loud banging noise.

 

_ I don’t care, J. _

 

“I’m curious about your parents. Particularly your dad, since I heard those two bullies—Shun and Toma, are they?—said something about him,” he tried to bait Jun.

 

“No one speaks about my dad,” Jun’s voice became a bit hoarse, just like when he spoke to Shun and Toma.

 

Kazu finally decided to speak bluntly. 

 

“You know, as far as I remembered, I knew I have complete parents. Someone whom I can call Mom and Dad.”

 

“And you sure know well that such trick won’t affect me, right? Your words will always be an utter bullshit, Kazu.”

 

_ Like I said before, I don’t care, J. I need to know. _

 

“So… you definitely noticed how distinct my face is from Papa, right? Things happened so fast. My real dad died in an accident in his workplace when I was only 5. My mom then got married to Papa Oh-chan. But she committed suicide not long after.”

 

The trick worked, Kazu thought. He saw Jun pausing his activities.

 

“She committed suicide because of the pressure from losing her husband. She thought she can’t do anything without him. But she couldn’t tell that to anybody else because she didn’t want to be a burden. And when she can’t take it anymore, she just killed herself, with the thought of leaving me to Papa Oh-chan.”

 

“... Sorry to hear that.” Kazu could hear Jun whispered under his breath. 

 

They went to silence for a few seconds before Jun replied him.

 

“... Are you done? I beg you, please go when you’re done, pretty please?”

 

“I haven’t said I’m satisfied, even you haven’t tell me a single thing yet, so—”

 

_ “OPEN THE DOOR, STUPID BRAT!!” _

 

Kazu’s words were cut by the banging door sounds coming from the back door, followed by a loud and hoarse voice of a man.

 

“...fuck,” Jun cursed.

 

“What? Who’s that, J?”

 

“No time to explain, go hide inside my room and don’t come out until I told you so!!” 

 

As Jun shoved him to a small room—more like a small storage—the banging noise became louder and louder. Jun did close the room’s door, but of course curious Kazu had opened it again a little, to eavesdrop on him.

 

“You know what date is it today?” Kazu could hear the same man as before spoke out.

 

“But you’ve just taken the money a few days ago,” Jun said. “I don’t have any cash left right now.”

 

“But today is also the date when I should take Nagase’s salary, so give me the money now.”

 

“I said I don’t have any with me,” Jun insisted. “You had taken all your share when you are drunk, Matsuoka-san.”

 

“Oh, you’re fighting back against me!?” the man—Mr Matsuoka, snapped and grabbed Jun by his collar.

 

“I really don’t have money!”

 

“I don’t care, kid. Give me the money. You know I can send you to the inspector at anytime.”

 

“... I-I swear! You took the money already!”

 

“SHUT UP! I don’t need your excuses!”

 

_ Oh damn, J is in trouble again.  _ Kazu shook his head.  _ Why is it always him, gosh…. _

 

Kazu stepped out of the room. Well, he didn’t care anymore about Jun’s warning.

 

“Hey old man, I got some money here.”

 

“Who are you, little chick? Jun’s friend?” Mr Matsuoka asked without releasing his grip on Jun’s collar.

 

“... No… Kazu, don’t….”

 

Kazu took out his earnings out of his pocket, and shoved it to the man.  _ Uhhhh… fine! I’m gonna be nice today! _

 

“Take this and leave him alone,” Kazu said.

 

“Wow, kid, what a huge amount you’re holding there… huge amount for a kid as small as you. I’ll take that since I’m not in the mood to punch someone today. You’re lucky this time, Jun.”

 

_ Said the person who had just threaten someone, huh. _

 

Mr Matsuoka snatched the money from Kazu’s hand, released his grip on Jun—making him fell down to the floor. And he just left, after getting what he wanted.

 

“Damn, that was intense. Are you okay, J?”

 

“... I told you to leave already.”

 

“Whoa, is that what I get after saving your ass twice?” Kazu said sarcastically. “I even sacrificed my dear money that I had earned the past two months!”

 

“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!” Jun shouted. “... I told you to leave, you didn’t… and look now? This is what you get when you associate yourself with me!”

 

“J...” Kazu walked towards him.

 

“GO AWAY!!” Jun squeezed his hair stressfully. “Please, Kazu… I hate being a burden to everyone! I’m tired of this! I’m tired of being treated like a useless trash!”

 

“J!” Kazu grabbed Jun’s shoulder, with hopes of calming him down. 

 

“... I’m tired of being hated by everyone...” Jun sobbed. “You probably also hate me, right?”

 

“I did have a little dislike towards you when you first encountered me and Papa,” Kazu said. “But… you know… people can change. And I’m not that kind of person who decides to hate someone before knowing the reasons behind their acts.”

 

“But your dad was.”

 

“Did you expect the ‘like father, like son’ quote to apply on us, non-blood related father and son? Well… Papa did have some past issues that made it hard to gain his trust… which I also don’t know why, but believe me, he’s not a bad person.”

 

“And do you also believe that I’m not a bad person?”

 

“I can’t judge until I hear everything from your own mouth.”

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

“Like you, I once had someone whom I can call Mom and Dad. Well, I never knew my mom because she died giving birth to me. So it was just me and my dad. I remembered I have grandparents too—Mom’s parents, they’re also dead now. But even them… my own grandparents… they said that I’m the cause of their daughter’s death. That I shouldn’t have been born….”

 

Jun was finally willing enough to tell someone his problems, and he couldn’t believe that amongst all people, Kazu was the one listening. Kazu, that sarcastic, self-proclaimed street magician with his smug face and creepy laugh, who looks like he could be a better thief than Jun and not feeling guilty at all.

 

“But Dad… he always told me, imagine if this world was one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts—they always come in the exact amount they need. So if the entire world was one big machine, you could never be an extra part. You had to be here for some reason. Dad was my life-saver…. He was the only person who didn’t look at me in disgust. He was the only person who accepted me no matter how. He was… the only person who gave me love.”

 

Now, Kazu didn’t look like his usual self. Somehow this side of Kazu had made him calm down and gave him the courage. Jun wasn’t sure if this was one of Kazu’s magic tricks or not—seeing Kazu right now makes him want to tell everything.

 

“Dad was a clockmaker. He ran a little shop. As a kid I was trying to follow his footsteps, and I ended up loving machinery like he did. However my classmates, back then when I still went to school, they just see me as a weird nerd. Two of them were Shun and Toma. That time, I didn’t even mind with their bullying, I thought that as long as I’m with Dad, I will always be happy. But… well... shit happened.”

 

Kazu was straightforward. He said mean words and mocked Jun right in front of his face. He threatens Jun every time he could. He knew that he made Jun angry and he’s not even regretting his actions. 

 

He saved Jun without thinking twice.

 

Kazu was nothing like those two-faced adults who pitied him during his dad’s funeral. Nothing like his classmates who loathed him from his back. Nothing like his uncle who had ill intentions towards him.

 

“Three years ago, Dad’s shop was on fire when he was working… since then I had become an orphan. My uncle, Mom’s brother, who was the only family I had left, took me with him to the station, as he was the station’s clock mender. Yet he didn’t see me as a family member. He just see me as a debtor living with him—he always said that if I want to stay, it’s not for free. I need to work for him. So… here I am now, being his apprentice. But he wasn’t a good person from the very start. An alcoholic man who knows nothing but violence… as a mentor he would always hit me when I did something wrong. And he knew that I wouldn’t dare to fight back, also the fact that this was the last shelter I had makes me an obedient minion in his eyes.”

 

“So… Where is he now? I didn’t see anyone else here, except that man before,” Kazu cut his words.

 

“He is gone. I don’t know where he is now… It has been 5 months since. I don’t even know if he’s still alive or not…”

 

“And who’s that man who just took my money?”

 

“... My uncle’s drinking buddy, Matsuoka-san. He told me that my uncle was out of town for an indefinite time—which I don’t really know if he was telling the truth or not—and he had asked Matsuoka-san to collect his salary while he was away. He was no different from my uncle, using violence to get what he wants. And since he always threatening to send me to the orphanage if I didn’t do what he said…. I really got no choice. And with my uncle gone, I’m the only one left to mend the clocks. I… just can’t abandon this place like that. I even changed my surname… just so people who knew me or my dad in the past—like Shun and Toma—won’t recognize me working here…”

 

Jun looked at Kazu, who didn’t change his expression at all. Did he finally lost his words?

 

“...I’ve told you everything, are we good now?”

 

“There’s one thing that’s still bugging me,” Kazu answered. “I got it if you stole some foods from the cafe or shops, but why are you stealing machine parts from Papa’s shop?”

 

Jun sighed.  _ He finally asked the one question I don’t want to answer the most. _

 

“I am in the middle of fixing something. Something my dad didn’t manage to finish...”

 

“... Which is that old camera in your room?”

 

“You saw it already, huh.”

 

“Just guessing. I might not be as smart as you in fixing things, but as a magician, I had a quite good memory, if I must say. I remember almost all of Papa’s tools and spare machine parts. Papa is a bit forgetful sometimes, so I help him tidy his things and tell him if there’s anything missing. And I found all those missing parts in your dad’s camera.”

 

“Fine, I’m sorry,” Jun sighed again. “I just want to finish what my dad has left for me. Seeing broken machines makes me want to fix them, and since it was the only thing Dad had left for me, at least I want to make it work again, one last time...”

 

“I’m sorry too for forcing you to tell all of this, so you can say we are equal now. I would do the same if I were you….” 

 

God, was it really the word “sorry” that came out of Kazu’s mouth? Jun didn’t hear it wrong, right?

 

But Jun just didn’t care about it anymore.

 

Kazu, for now, might be the only one he could trust.

 

“So… how was the fixing?”

 

“You can say it’s almost done. Your dad took my notebook—my dad’s notebook, which contains his research on that camera—but I managed to finish it without the notebook. I just need one more thing….”

 

“And what is this thing?”

 

“Come,” Jun guided him back to his room.

 

“You see here?” Jun pointed at a small hole on one side of the camera. The hole was in the shape of a heart. “I think it was some kind of a keyhole to make this thing work… and yeah, I don’t have the key for this unique keyhole.”

 

“What the fuck, J…” Kazu was shocked when he saw it.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Kazu took out a necklace, which he had underneath his shirt. The necklace had a pendant…

 

… the pendant, in fact was a heart-shaped key.

 

“Where did you get this!?” Jun immediately grabbed the necklace. “I was searching for it this whole time! Why don’t you tell me!?”

 

“You never said anything before! How would I know that you need it!? Damn, J, insert that key now, or else I will die from curiosity.”

 

Jun quickly snatched the key from Kazu’s hand and inserted the key.

 

“What the… it’s working, Kazu!”

 

“Gosh, hurry up, J!”

 

Jun took the camera on his hands, pointing the viewfinder to the window—it was showing a beautiful sunset outside—and clicked the shutter.

 

“Look! It was printing the photo on the polaroid film! You should have told me earlier about this camera!” 

 

“I would have if you weren’t so creepy, gremlin!”

 

“Shut up and just take the damn film!” Kazu shouted when the camera had finished doing its job.

 

The film showed a beautiful sunset scenery, just like what they saw outside the window.

 

“It fucking works…” Jun looked at the photo in disbelief.  _ I did it, Dad! _

 

“J, you won’t believe this,” Kazu said.

 

“Yes, I know. After 3 years, finally…”

 

“No, J, that’s not what I meant,” Kazu snatched the polaroid film.

 

“See this?” Kazu pointed at the corner of the film. There was a small writing, some kind of watermark.

 

“Ohno… Satoshi?”

 

“That’s Papa Oh-chan’s name, J.”

 

“What… why would his name appear in the photo taken by my dad’s camera??”

 

“How would I know, too!? I got that key from Papa, where did your dad get his camera??”

 

“He said he got it from a friend…” Jun tried to remember his dad’s words. “... Whom I didn't know. He never mentioned the name.”

 

“Great. Now we just found another mystery. Guess I got no choice but to help you now, huh,” Kazu smirked again, Jun had lost count on how many times he did that already.

 

“You got any idea on where should we start, Mr Magician? Don’t tell me we should just ask him directly because you know he won’t tell anything about it to me.”

 

“I think I knew someone who can help.”

 

Kazu, right now, might be his only ally. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jun's dad's inspirational quote was taken from the original movie. ^^  
> And I promise Aiba will appear on the next chapter! *pls don't kill me aiba stans*

**Author's Note:**

> So, the story basically is almost the same as the original movie, but I do change some parts of the plot. The original movie was actually for general audiences, meaning that the story is pretty "tame" and "too vanilla" for me, lmao XD
> 
> I do make some characters younger/older than they supposed to be, example Jun here is older than Hugo in the original movie (won't spoil more than that). The setting will take the same place and period of time with the movie (1930s Paris), but will still use Japanese names (I know it's really irrelevant but just imagine watching the movie with arashi as the cast ><).


End file.
